Optical couplers between portions of electronic circuits or between components in a system, such as the components in a computer, are very desirable because of the bandwidth of optical fibers and the number of signals that can be communicated through optical fibers. One major problem in using optical fibers between printed circuit boards and the like is the connect/disconnect function. It is essential that various components of the system be removable and/or possible to disconnect so that normal maintenance, as well as changes and updates to the system, can be accomplished. Further, in many instances it is desirable to couple optical signals directly to and from IC chips and the like. Thus, a plug that offers both electrical and optical connect/disconnect functions is highly desirable.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved optical/electrical connector.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved optical/electrical connector which couples optical signals directly with IC chips, hybrid circuits, printed circuit boards, etc.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of fabricating optical/electrical connectors.
It is a still further purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of fabricating optical/electrical connectors that couple optical signals directly with IC chips, printed circuit boards, etc.